STEVE Sharp and Terry Leabeater played together on the day Parramatta Stadium was opened in 1986.

The former christened the new venue with a try; the latter went on to star in the Eels’ grand final win over Canterbury.

Almost three decades later they are sworn enemies, with Sharp — now Parramatta chairman — applying for an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) against his former front row partner.

In perhaps the most dramatic episode of Parramatta’s perennial turmoil, Sharp approached police in late May, shortly after his disciplinary committee cancelled Leabeater’s Leagues Club membership for five years.

Sharp was joined by deputy Eels chairman Tom Issa, who has also applied for an AVO against Leabeater.

If granted by Parramatta Local Court on 5 August, both orders would prevent Leabeater from making any contact with the pair, or coming within 100 metres of the Leagues Club.

Police officers served Leabeater the documents on Monday afternoon, at his Central Coast home. They were intended to be served much early, with a court hearing originally scheduled for 10 June, but police could not locate the defendant.

The Daily Telegraph has sighted both AVO applications, in which Sharp and Issa allege they felt threatened and harassed by a series of exchanges with Leabeater, who intends to vigorously defend the allegations.

Leabeater stands opposite the pair on the club’s bitter political fault line, which has thrown boardroom relationships into disarray at regular intervals since 2009, when Roy Spagnolo’s 3P ticket gained control of the club.

Leabeater was and remains a staunch Spagnolo supporter; a loyalty that caused him angst when Sharp ousted 3P in May 2013.

However, Leabeater was not vocal for the majority of Sharp’s first year at the helm.

Steve Sharp.Source:The Daily Telegraph

It wasn’t until mid-April this year, when the Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing (OLGR) began probing membership irregularities at the club.

Leabeater was also upset over the treatment of a former female staffer.

In a text to Sharp on 15 April Leabeater labelled the chairman a “f...king disgrace” and “an insecure little man”.

That message triggered the disciplinary proceedings, with Leabeater having his membership provisionally suspended for six months the next day.

Leabeater, however, claims this was not the case and points to the fact he was granted entry to the Club AGM on 5 May as proof.

Shortly after entering the room, he was surrounded by security and asked to leave. On his way out Leabeater gave Sharp a verbal serve and tossed his voting paddle in the chairman’s direction.

Leabeater’s membership was officially cancelled on 22 May. Six days later he sent another angry text message to Sharp, which said in part: “Clearly you are just a seriously dumb c... that I have obviously never known.”

Sharp and Issa applied for the AVOs the following day, 29 May. They both claimed to be in fear of Leabeater reacting with further harassment and threats upon learning his membership had been cancelled until 2019.

Parramatta has a scheduled board meeting tonight, during which the matter is expected to be discussed. The club last night released a statement claiming Sharp had tried to “discuss privately” Leabeater’s concerns, prior to the tone of their communications deteriorating after the OLGR investigation was revealed.

“The nature and tone of Mr Leabeater’s SMS and email correspondence became constant, personal and intense,” the statement read.

“A number of Directors and Senior management of the Club urged (Sharp) and (Issa) to undertake legal steps due to an escalation in the correspondence and vitriol directed at them personally.”

Leabeater was devastated when contacted on Monday, and denied Sharp had tried to entertain his concerns. He indicated that he would defend the orders vigorously.